The electronic touch screen is representative of current innovative HMIs for electronic devices. With a touch screen, the user enters data by touching virtual buttons displayed on the computer display. With a touch screen system, the type, size, and number of the virtual buttons may be readily changed by changing the computer's program without changes in the associated hardware. Thus, the touch screen system offers a user-interface that may be flexibly tailored to a particular application. The ability to divide virtual buttons among different screens and to display only those screens needed by the user's particular task can simplify data entry. The combination of text and graphical elements on the screen, along with the virtual buttons, can help to further guide the user through the steps of data input.
Normally, a touch screen system uses a touch screen panel which is placed directly over the viewing area of a standard computer display, for example, a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD). The touch screen panel provides a signal to a computer associated with the computer display indicating where on the surface of the display a stylus or finger is placed. This signal may be generated, for example, by acoustic systems detecting absorption of sound by a finger on the surface of the display; by systems using crossed beams of infrared light arrayed along x and y axes which are broken by the finger; or by laminated transparent electrodes which are physically compressed against each other to provide a point electrical contact that may be interpreted as an x and y coordinate. Frequently, a touch screen will be used with a computer contained within a device to be used by the public. The computer may have so-called multi-media capabilities providing both a visual and an audio program intended to help members of the public obtain information or directions.
Despite the advantage of touch screen systems in many applications, like many novel interface controls, they may present a barrier to many people with disabilities. Those with impaired vision perceive only the featureless surface of the display screen knowing that it may contain one or more virtual buttons of arbitrary placement and function. Those unfamiliar with the language of the legends on the buttons or those who cannot read, are also foreclosed from much of the information presented by touch screen systems. It can be appreciated that the use of buttons, keyboards, or other mechanical controls in conjunction with a touch screen system may be of significant assistance to those persons with disabilities. However, in many touch screen systems, the addition of buttons, keyboards, or other mechanical controls is limited by a lack of space, expense, or various other constraints. Hence, it would be desirable to provide a device for improving access to the functions of HMIs for people with disabilities.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide an interface system for tactile manipulation of a touch screen for people with disabilities which provides appropriate tactile marking for the action they wish to carry out and which provides a user with the sensation that an actual button is being pressed.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide an interface system for improving access to the functions of HMIs for people with disabilities that is simple to use and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide an interface system that includes a device for improving access to the functions of HMIs for people with disabilities that may be utilized without altering operation of the HMIs or the electronic devices controlled by the HMIs.
In accordance with the present invention, an interface system for allowing cross-disability manipulation of a computer touch screen that is operably connected to an electronic computer is provided. A software program is stored on the computer and the computer and computer touch screen can be incorporated into a kiosk. The interface system includes a tactile button assembly that can be used for manipulating the touch screen, without requiring the user to physically touch graphically displayed virtual buttons on the computer touch screen. The tactile button assembly extends over at least a portion of the computer touch screen and includes at least one tactile button that has tactile indicia that can be tactilely perceived by a user. The tactile button(s) can be moved between a non-actuated position and an actuated position and includes a contact end. In the non-actuated position of the tactile button(s), the contact end is spaced from the computer touch screen. In the actuated position of the tactile button(s), the contact end is relatively closer to and may contact the computer touch screen.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the computer touch screen defines a virtual button that is graphically displayed on the computer touch screen. The virtual button can be seen by a user with sight, thus be within a line-of-sight view of the user, and can be touched by a finger of the user to perform a predetermined task of the software program. A hidden button is defined upon the computer touch screen and is arranged so that at least a portion of the hidden button underlies at least a portion of the tactile button, thus being at least partially covered from line-of-sight view of the user, and arranged so that the tactile button contact end contacts the hidden button when the tactile button is in the actuated position for performing the predetermined task of the software program. In this way, the same task that can be performed by pressing the virtual button can also be performed by pressing the tactile button.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the tactile button assembly includes a panel that supports the tactile button at a support end of the button that is opposite the contact end of the tactile button. The support end of the tactile button can be transversely spaced from the computer touch screen so that the support end of the tactile button does not overlie the computer touch screen.
The support end of the tactile button can be fixed with respect to the panel so that the contact end of the tactile button is arranged in a cantilevered manner with respect to the panel. An intermediate portion of the tactile button that extends between the tactile button support and contact ends can be configured to bend while the tactile button moves between the non-actuated and actuated positions so that the tactile button actuates like a diving board with its own material providing a biasing force that tends to return the tactile button to the non-actuated position. Alternatively, a pivot connection can be provided between the tactile button support end and the panel, and that defines a pivot axis about which the tactile button pivots when moving between the non-actuated and actuated positions. A spring can be arranged between the tactile button and the panel that biases the tactile button toward the non-actuated position.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a bezel extends about and outwardly from a perimeter of the computer touch screen and the panel of the tactile button assembly is mounted to the bezel. The panel can be non-permanently mounted to the bezel by way of, for example, adhesives, magnetic fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, or other non-permanent mounting techniques that may allow the interface system to be retrofitted to existing kiosks and other touch screen systems that are currently in use. The panel can also be permanently or semi-permanently mounted to the bezel by way of, for example, screws, pins, or adhesives. It could also be molded directly into the bezel for such permanent mounting.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the tactile button assembly panel includes a front portion that is proximate the computer touch screen, a back portion that is distal the computer touch screen, and an intermediate portion that extends between the front and back portions. The intermediate portion includes slots extending therethrough and multiple tactile buttons are respectively arranged within the slots of the panel intermediate portion. The panel front portion can include slots that are interconnected with the slots of panel intermediate portion. The contact ends of the tactile buttons can be arranged to move within the slots of the panel front portion while the tactile buttons move between the non-actuated and actuated positions.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the panel front portion may include at least one hook that engages a bezel of the kiosk and provide registration and alignment of the tactile button assembly and thus the contact end(s) of the button(s) with the hidden button(s), without the at least one hook touching the screen. Multiple hooks may be defined on the panel front portion to provide and maintain registration and alignment of the tactile button assembly from multiple locations of engagement with the kiosk bezel. Pairs of hooks may be provided on opposing sides of the tactile buttons so that the panel can be supported at multiple engagement locations with the bezel and lower surfaces of the hooks may be spaced from but closely adjacent to the screen, which may help prevent objects other than the contact ends of the tactile buttons from contacting the hidden buttons and may protect the movable contact ends of the tactile buttons.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the contact ends of the tactile buttons may include resilient tips that are made from a resilient material, such as an elastomeric material. For some types of touch screen technology, such as capacitive touch screens, the resilient material would be electrically conductive. The resilient tips can be molded to the contact ends of the tactile buttons. This may be done by way of co-molding, dual-injection or over-molding a resilient material over the contact ends of the tactile buttons.